3% (2016-)

3%deserves much more recognition than
it gets. I discovered it myself one lonely, wet Netflix night and binged the
whole first season in a day.

It is the first
Portuguese-language Netflix series and only the second international Netflix
creation yet. But don’t let the subtitles scare you off; this show comes highly
recommended. It is a dystopian sci-fi thriller about a future World that is
ravaged and diseased. Everyone goes through ‘the process’ at 20 years old to
determine whether they are part of the worthy 3% to make it to the Offshore,
the beautiful Promised Land where everyone lives happily. The premise is
similar to that of Michael Bay epic The
Island (2005), but with a grittier undertone and without the visual
theatrics.

The recently
released second season is just as successful as the first, weaving in a more
involved plot to do with The Cause, a rebel militant group who attempt to take
down ‘the process’. Actresses Bianca Comparato and Veneza Oliveira play
opposing characters beautifully, both making you believe their struggle and
understand their sides equally. This makes it a tension-filled watch as you
constantly question what side you should be on – which woman’s morals are
worthier? Overall, a television show set to keep you on the edge of your seat
and with its twists, turns and moral dilemmas. I could not recommend it more.